The 2011-12 Regional Telecommunications Review is an independent review and the committee must provide its report to the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy by 5 March 2012. The committee"s terms of reference are at Appendix 1.

Background

This is the second legislated RTR and follows on from the 2008 review led by Dr Bill Glasson AO. The committee acknowledges the Glasson committee"s comprehensive report, Framework for the Future, and its commitment to improving regional telecommunications. In direct response to the 2008 review, the government established the Digital Regions Initiative to fund projects that use broadband applications to improve education, health and emergency services in regional communities.

The government"s response included funding for an enhanced Satellite Phone Subsidy Scheme and an Indigenous Communications Program, which is delivering improved telecommunications, public internet access and training to remote Indigenous communities.

Subsequent to the Glasson review, the government"s National Broadband Network (NBN) policy was announced. On 7 April 2009, the government committed to building a ubiquitous national network, providing access to high-speed broadband for every home, school and business in Australia. This represents a step change in rural and regional Australia"s access to affordable and reliable communications services.

The NBN will provide access to high-speed broadband to 100 per cent of Australian premises. The government"s objective is to connect 93 per cent of Australian homes, schools and businesses with fibre-to-the-premises technology (FTTP) providing speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second. All remaining premises will be served by a combination of next-generation fixed-wireless and satellite technologies providing peak speeds of 12 megabits per second.

NBN Co Limited was established to build and operate the new high-speed network. The NBN is expected to be completed by 2021 at which time around 13 million premises will have access to fibre-to-the-premises, fixed-wireless or satellite broadband services.

The NBN policy was strengthened by the government"s Commitment to Regional Australia, announced on 7 September 2010.

The commitment includes prioritising the regional rollout of the NBN to ensure non-metropolitan communities are amongst the first beneficiaries of reliable high-speed broadband. This will occur by:

building fibre in regional areas as a priority

bringing forward the introduction of wireless and satellite services so that regional Australia can gain access to better broadband as soon as possible

putting in place uniform national wholesale prices, so that regional areas can pay the same prices as people in the city.

Since then, NBN Co has launched commercial services on the Interim Satellite Service on 1 July 2011, providing eligible rural and regional Australians with immediate access to enhanced broadband services. This new service targets customers who do not have access to a metro-comparable broadband service.

The Interim Satellite Service offers users peak speeds of 6 megabits per second download and 1 megabit per second upload. Currently, seven retail service providers (RSPs) are offering interim satellite services (Activ8me, Bordernet, Clear Networks, Harbour IT, Reachnet, SkyMesh and Australian Nomad Technologies). NBN Co has announced plans to sign up to 20 RSPs to offer retail satellite services from November 2011, ensuring rural and remote Australians enjoy the benefits of a competitive retail market.

NBN Co is also in the process of designing and procuring two new, Ka-band satellites to deliver the Long Term Satellite Service from 2015. The Long Term Satellite Service will offer peak speeds of 12 megabits per second download and 1 megabit per second upload and will enable average data higher than average DSL usage today.

NBN Co has also brought forward the introduction of its next-generation fixed-wireless service so that regional and rural Australia can get access to better broadband as soon as possible.

The first communities to receive the service will be the less densely populated rural and regional communities that surround Ballarat (Vic), Darwin (NT), Geraldton (WA), Toowoomba (Qld) and Tamworth (NSW). It is expected that customers in these areas will be able to sign up with retail service providers to use the network, with the latest 4G technology, from the middle of 2012. It is anticipated that those parts of Australia outside the fibre footprint-the so called "last 7 per cent"-will be fully covered by NBN Co"s fixed-wireless and long-term satellite services by 2015.

In addition, since the announcement of the NBN in April 2009 the majority of the fibre network construction that has occurred, or is planned, has been in rural and regional Australia.

In July 2010, the first services were switched on in the three regional Tasmanian centres of Scottsdale, Midway Point and Smithton. Of the 19 first and second-release sites on the mainland, where construction or planning is already underway, many are in regional centres.

These fibre, wireless and satellite networks will ensure that every community in regional Australia gets fair and equal access to affordable high-speed broadband. This includes the delivery of uniform national wholesale pricing within the three technology platforms. This means that wholesale broadband prices for comparable products will be the same for households and businesses regardless of where they are located--in the city, in regional Australia or in more remote parts of the country.

Further, under the Regional Backbone Blackspots Program, 6000 kilometres of optical fibre will be laid before the end of 2011. This program will connect 100 regional locations and provide around 400 000 people across six states and territories with access to competitively-priced backhaul.

Another major change in the telecommunications sector since the Glasson review has been the increase in demand for mobile access broadband services. Mobile phones and/or broadband devices are becoming increasingly popular with Australians. This is due to a number of factors such as higher rates of mobility, and the desire to connect to the internet remotely for business and personal use, including social networking. The committee is interested in better understanding the impact that this additional demand for mobile access broadband services will have, or is already having, on the existing wireless networks.

Introduction

The 2011-12 Regional Telecommunications Review seeks to build upon the progress achieved since the 2008 review. In doing so, the Minister has asked the committee to have particular regard for the opportunities that the NBN creates for the emerging digital economy to improve the delivery of:

health and education outcomes

business efficiencies and opportunities

growth in local economies

government services and programs, including local government services

The committee is also interested in other telecommunications issues that are important to regional, rural and remote communities. These include:

the communications needs of Indigenous Australians, particularly those that live in rural and remote communities

developments in the terrestrial and satellite mobile phone sector

the consumer concerns of people and businesses in regional, rural and remote Australia.

The committee"s approach to the 2011-12 RTR is to take a snapshot of current service availability in different areas and to look to the future to identify what further steps are needed for regional Australia to progressively take advantage of improved broadband services, including those which will become available as the NBN is deployed.

The committee is keen to learn from the experiences of consumers, businesses, agencies and organisations using telecommunications services in regional Australia.

The committee is also keen to understand the initiatives that are in place or planned to support access to, awareness of, and use of improved telecommunication services in regional Australia.

The government"s commitment to the rollout of the NBN will, over time, bring about major structural reform in the Australian telecommunications industry. The NBN also forms a key platform over which a new generation of services and applications will evolve. The committee recognises that the rollout will take some time but also is of the view that, for regional Australia to benefit from the NBN, thinking needs to start now about future opportunities, how regional communities can best prepare themselves for these opportunities, and what can be done to accelerate and extend these opportunities.

With this in mind the committee would welcome your views and ideas on:

changes in user behaviour and preferences with telecommunications services

the extent to which these services are used in traditional sectors, such as farming, and also new business and economic development opportunities

the extent to which people in regional Australia are using telecommunications services to shop, access government and community services, to assist with information, communication and decision-making, and to allow for automated communications between devices, such as sensors and weather stations or dataloggers.

This is an exciting time for regional telecommunications and the committee encourages you to have your say. The committee is accepting submissions until 1 December 2011. Details on how to make submissions and provide comments are in the Have your say section of this paper.

The committee will conduct consultations in regional, rural and remote parts of Australia. The consultation schedule and other information about the committee is available at www.rtirc.gov.au

Complementary inquiries

The committee is aware of other relevant inquiries that are ongoing or have been recently completed. These include:

the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Infrastructure and Communications, Inquiry into the role and potential of the National Broadband Networki

The 2011-12 RTR seeks to complement, but not replicate, these other bodies of work. The Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee will remain focused on the particular opportunities and challenges that face regional, rural and remote communities. You can assist the committee to do this by making a submission or attending one of the public meetings.

Have your say

The committee welcomes submissions from individuals, businesses and organisations. If you wish to make a submission, please consider the following guidelines.

You can email your submissions to secretariat@rtirc.gov.au Please clearly label the submission and any appendices that you attach. The total size of an email, including all attachments, should not exceed 3 megabytes.

If you are unable to submit electronically, you can post your submission to:

Further information about submissions, including confidentiality, privacy and how to contact the secretariat is at Appendix 2.

Key areas of interest

The committee has identified five key areas of interest for the 2011-12 Regional Telecommunications Review:

the digital economy

regional health and education outcomes

communications needs of Indigenous people and communities

developments in the terrestrial and satellite mobile phone sector

consumer issues.

This paper sets out the committee"s understanding of these issues for regional, rural and remote Australians. The committee also asks a number of questions in the paper, which we would like you to consider and respond to. It is not necessary to address all of these questions in your submission. The committee would also welcome submissions on other telecommunications matters that you consider are relevant to regional, rural and remote Australians.

The digital economy

Question 1. How is the use of telecommunications services; and information and communication technology (ICT) evolving in different industry sectors and what is the impact of these changes in regional Australia?

Question 2. What is needed to extend and accelerate the role of telecommunications services and ICT in delivering benefits to regional economies?

The "digital economy" refers to the rapidly growing use and impact of information and communications technology on the entire Australian economy-including every business, government agency, not-for-profit group and individual Australian. The ability to interact online in real-time, using the internet, is encouraging many innovative new communication models and applications.

The widespread availability of improved broadband at more affordable pricing in regional and remote areas, which the new NBN will provide, will establish a platform that people and organisations will use to change the way they currently communicate, provide and access services, and conduct their business. Many have already begun to do so.

For regional, rural and remote communities, the availability of high-speed broadband brings both opportunities and challenges.

For regional, rural and remote Australia, the NBN will provide a better platform for improving health and education outcomes, creating growth in local economies, improving business efficiency through such activities as teleworking, and delivering government services and programs. Many submissions to the Inquiry into the role and potential of the National Broadband Network by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Infrastructure and Communications considered that regional, rural and remote communities will benefit from greater participation in the digital economyvii.

However, challenges remain. For example, Australian Bureau of Statistics" data indicates that over one-third of Australians aged 15 years or older living in outer regional and remote areas have not used the internetviii. Additionally, it is reported that less than 30 per cent of regional businesses have a web presenceix. These are challenges to overcome before people living and working in regional, rural and remote Australia can take full advantage of the opportunities presented by the digital economy.

The committee is aware that there are programs that are designed to address these challenges. For example, the Digital Hubs program has been developed to help increase the portion of households that connect to broadband at home. This program will fund the establishment of a "digital hub" in the 40 communities that will first benefit from the rollout of the NBN. Digital Hubs will provide local people with experience of NBN-enabled services and technology and with access to education and training for the skills required to participate in the NBN-enabled digital economy.

Additionally, the Broadband for Seniors program provides seniors with free access to the internet and assists them in gaining confidence in using computer technology. Kiosks are set up in community organisations that support seniors, including community centres, retirement villages, nursing facilities, libraries and clubs. The initiative commenced in June 2008 and has delivered outcomes across 2000 sites, reaching about 94 000 seniors. The government has provided funding for a further four years from July 2011 to continue this program.

While the NBN will provide a critical piece of enabling infrastructure, the government has recognised that it is important to establish early trials of the technology to demonstrate its impact and to set the stage for broader systemic adoption in education, healthcare and government service delivery, to ensure full participation in the digital economy.

Business efficiencies and opportunities

The digital economy also provides opportunities for individual businesses, not-for-profit groups and local economic development. Initial experiences coming from the first-release NBN sites show real promise in this area. A recent report by Deloitte Access Economics valued the direct contribution of the internet to the Australian economy at approximately $50 billion in 2010x. Experience to date suggests this figure will grow as the NBN is rolled out nationwide and consumers continue to increase their level on online activity.

Teleworking is one strategy that could lead to job opportunities and productivity gains for regional businesses, as well as increasing flexibility for individuals. Teleworking can take a number of forms, including working from home or other locations outside of the business premises, it can be done occasionally or on a full-time basis, and it can also include flexible working hours.

Specific benefits that could come from teleworking include:

being able to recruit people irrespective of where they live;

reduced commuting and business related travel time; and

greater workplace flexibility, making the business a more attractive option for employeesxi.

The committee is aware that the Australian Government has developed initiatives to encourage greater online participation by businesses and community organisations. For example, the Digital Enterprise program will assist small-to-medium enterprises and not-for-profit organisations, including local cultural organisations, to better understand how they can take advantage of the NBN and online opportunities in general.

The committee has a strong interest in the potential for businesses and community organisations in regional Australia to take advantage of improved broadband services. The committee is also interested in views on the role of local governments and other bodies in encouraging growth in local economies through the digital economy.

Question 3. The committee would like to hear from businesses and organisations about their participation in, experiences of, and expectations about, the digital economy. Examples could relate to specific sectors such as agriculture, mining, manufacturing or retail; business-to-business activities; productivity; teleworking; and the development of new knowledge-based industries.

Delivery of government services and programs

Accessing government services online is increasingly becoming a preferred way of doing business with government. Many state, territory and local governments are actively developing and implementing digital economy strategies. For people living or working in rural and remote communities, the ability to access more government services online will be more convenient and achieve savings in both time and travel costs.

The Australian Government"s Digital Local Government program will assist local governments in early-release NBN sites to deliver innovative online services to homes and businesses. Additionally, developments are being investigated to improve people"s ease of use and access to Australian Government services. Such improvements include options that would enable individuals to manage their government transactions and personal information via a single online account; and provide the basis for a range of new services, including a "tell us once" capability. This would allow people to communicate updated details to multiple agencies simultaneously and pre-fill forms with information previously provided to an agency.

At the Australian government level, there are many examples of the increased focus on online service delivery. For the Australian Tax Office, tax return lodgements using e-tax increased to 2.37 million in 2009-10xii. Centrelink reported that in 2009-10 more than 110 million web pages were viewed by 85 million visitorsxiii. The Australian Bureau of Statistics anticipated that 30 per cent of the population would use the eCensus to complete the 2011 Census of Population and Housingxiv

Question 4. The NBN will help the range of online government services to continue to expand. The committee is interested in views and experiences about engaging with government services online, whether local, state or federal.

Question 5. What are some examples of what you want to see happen to encourage greater participation in the digital economy by people living and working in regional Australia?

The committee recognises the experiences that regional, rural and remote communities have with the digital economy will vary according to the nature, characteristics and location of that community. The committee would appreciate specific examples and case studies.

Question 6. What are the main barriers to regional communities increasing their use of information and communications technologies and do you have any ideas for ways in which regional communities could progressively overcome these barriers?

Regional health and education outcomes

In the health and ageing sector there are a number of telehealth trials and other initiatives underway that will take advantage of the NBN to deliver in-home and close-to-home health services. People living in regional, rural and remote communities stand to benefit greatly from these initiatives when they are rolled out nationally.

For example, the Diabetes Telehealth trial, in Townsville, is expected to deliver a range of benefits to type 2 diabetes patients such as improved diabetes management, the ability to detect and address quickly any deterioration in condition, improved patient confidence in self-managing a diabetic condition, and reduced travel times and transport costs.

A further example is the Telehealth to the Home trial in the New England and Shoalhaven regions of New South Wales. It will provide broadband-enabled access to appropriate health and mental care. This means that patients will no longer have to regularly travel long distances to access their health professionals. Patients can remain in the community and have access to the same level of care that those in major centres experience.

Through increased support for both patients and their carers, this trial will improve the quality of life for chronic disease sufferers and young people with mental health problems, and assist health professionals to provide more efficient, high-quality care for individuals wherever they live.

Similarly, trials are underway in the education sector to deliver a range of new online services. For example, EduONE-Education Our New England will trial new models of education services and resources using ubiquitous reliable high-speed broadbandxv. Vocational and adult students in rural and remote areas, many of whom have previously had to leave their homes and communities to further their educations, are obvious beneficiaries of this approach.

Expected benefits from the trial include improved access to high-quality vocational and adult education and training for students at home and in the workplace, leading to increased take-up of relevant skills development programs. This will allow greater workforce participation, as job seekers can more readily access appropriate training and professional development to get back into the workforce faster or to further enhance their existing careers.

In addition, the government has announced an NBN-Enabled Education and Skills Services Program commencing from 2011-12. This will support the development and trialling of innovative online education and skills services that take advantage of the high-speed broadband connections of the NBN and will provide more interactive and effective learning opportunities.

Regional universities in Australia are leaders in the delivery of external and distance-based studies. The committee"s view is that these institutions are particularly well-placed to develop and deliver new online education services and techniques.

For the education sector, increased experience with improved broadband to deliver training will give Australian teachers and educational institutions a competitive edge in the international education market and offer ways to deliver open-access resources. It could also improve the usage of existing teaching resources, helping to address teacher shortages. The committee believes that it will be important for teachers, students, and educational institutions to have a good understanding of intellectual property rights and licensing arrangements when offering, and making use of, open access resources.

Question 7. Do you have ideas for ways in which high-speed broadband could enhance the delivery of education and healthcare outcomes in regional communities?

Question 8. The committee would like to hear from individuals and organisations about their participation in, experiences of, and expectations about, online health and education service delivery.

Communications needs of Indigenous people and communities

Access to reliable high-speed broadband is the first step to participation in the digital economy for people living in rural and remote Indigenous communities. The fast-tracked availability of the NBN interim satellite solution provides an immediate opportunity to improve competitive access to broadband to the home, through a range of retail service providers.

In addition, the recent announcement of the NBN fixed-wireless network to communities in five states and territories will provide fast-tracked access to high-speed broadband, with the first services available from the middle of 2012.

However, the most recent census figures (2006) revealed that only 20 per cent of Indigenous households in remote and very remote Australia had an internet connection in 2006 compared with 60 per cent of non-Indigenous households in the same statistical areaxvi. As these figures illustrate, access will be a key challenge if these communities are to benefit from the digital economy.

Other challenges that people in Indigenous communities may face include:

the ability of end users to access internet services to their full potential

awareness of the opportunities provided by the digital economy.

Overcoming access and digital literacy issues will be important for Indigenous communities, as will improved awareness of the uses and benefits that the NBN can provide.

Access to high-speed broadband

There are a number of private and public programs that are improving access to computers, the internet and basic telecommunications services in remote communities.

The government"s response to the Glasson review included the Indigenous Communications Program, which commenced in 2009 10. The four-year program is helping provide public access to internet services and training for people living in remote Indigenous communities. The program is delivered through a National Partnership Agreement with four states and the Northern Territory. Since the inception of the program on 1 July 2009, 63 communities have received public internet access facilities and around 1700 Indigenous Australians have received training.

The other element of this program is the provision of communications services in smaller remote Indigenous communities. Around 210 remote Indigenous communities that did not previously have access to a public telephone have received fixed or mobile satellite community telephones.

Awareness of, and the ability to harness, the digital economy"s opportunities

Currently, there is a lack of awareness in some rural and remote communities about the opportunities afforded by the NBN. Additionally, there is a shortage of data available on the impacts, opportunities and potential applications of broadband in remote Indigenous communitiesxvii.

The ability of end users in rural and remote communities to understand and use the internet is fundamental to their participation in the digital economy. A number of recent inquiries into broadband and its potential applications have raised this issue. For example, in her report Getting Connected, Staying Connected: South Australia"s Digital Futures Dr Genevieve Bell suggests adopting a digital literacy program that would be lifelong, would teach basic skills and critical thinking, and could operate out of schools and other social institutions such as community centresxviii.

One initiative that is already in operation in Western Australia is the Community Resource Network, which is a network of community-owned and operated telecentre facilities. The Community Resource Network aims to provide local access to technology such as videoconferencing facilities, information, training and other services in small rural and remote communities across Western Australia. The role for telecentres is to provide: ICT upskilling programs, access to leading edge ICT technologies including broadband, and access to government information and service delivery-most notably e-government and other online servicesxix.

Question 9: Are there examples of the internet being used by Indigenous Australians in ways that take advantage of economic, social or cultural opportunities?

Question 10. What further initiatives should the committee consider to improve awareness within Indigenous communities of the opportunities provided by improved broadband services?

Question 11: What recommendations do you have for remote communities to take advantage of the progressive increase in availability of high-speed broadband?

Question 12: What more could be done to improve digital literacy amongst Indigenous Australians and within Indigenous communities?

Developments in the terrestrial and satellite mobile phone sector

Mobile phones and/or broadband devices have become increasingly popular with Australians over the past decade. This is due to a number of factors such as higher rates of mobility, and the desire to connect to the internet remotely for business and personal use, including social networking.

Mobile phone coverage

The committee is advised that the three major mobile phone carriers have extended the national coverage of their networks. These carriers estimate that their network coverage extends to:

Vodafone Hutchinson Australia-94 per cent of Australians

Optus 3G services-97 per cent of Australians

Telstra Next G network-99 per cent of Australians.

Based on the carrier"s estimates of population coverage, mobile phone access appears to have improved over time as demand for these services has increased. However, reflecting Australia"s highly urbanised population, these high levels of coverage equate to around 25 per cent of the Australian landmass.

Question 13. Have you been able to readily obtain information to improve your mobile phone coverage, such as using an external antenna or choosing particular phones that are better suited to rural or remote coverage?

Question 14. Are you aware of emerging technologies or initiatives that could be used to improve mobile phone coverage in regional Australia?

Satellite mobile phones

Satellite mobile phone services cover the entire Australian landmass. For areas that are sparsely populated or have little passing traffic, the only commercially-viable option for mobile services is via satellite.

Satellite mobile phones have similar functionality to terrestrial mobile phones, including voice, SMS and data services. While mobile phone towers are at risk of damage from bushfires and other natural disasters, satellite mobile phones are not as reliant on the local power supply infrastructure and can be more reliable than ground-based systems during an emergency.

Traditionally, satellite mobile phones were viewed by many as expensive to purchase, with high-cost call rates, and needing a clear line of sight to the satellite for the phone to work. However, the committee is advised that recent developments in the satellite phone market have led to a significant reduction in handset costs and more competitive call costs.

Question 15. What have been your experiences with satellite mobile phones?

Consumer issues

The Australian Government, industry and consumer groups are currently working on a range of strategies to improve the customer-focus of telecommunications providers. The committee would welcome feedback on any significant consumer issues that are unique to regional, rural or remote communities and which have not been raised in the context of the other consumer-related inquiries.

Consumer dissatisfaction with telecommunications services has increased in recent years. The government is aware of the importance of telecommunications services to consumers and the challenges that have existed in meeting consumers expectations. The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman has reported a substantial rise in consumer complaints about issues including poor customer service, bill shock, poor credit management, confusing advertising and contract complexity.

In response to this situation, the government has strengthened consumer protection laws, introducing new protections through the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Competition and Consumer Safeguards) Act 2010xx.

There are also a number of processes occurring in response to this situation, including the Reconnecting the Customer inquiry by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) that is examining customer service and complaint handling in the telecommunications industryxxi, a review of the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman schemexxii, and the Communications Alliance, the peak industry body, is finalising a new Telecommunications Consumer Protections Codexxiii that attempts to address the issues that underpin consumer complaints.

In its 2008 regional telecommunications review, the Glasson committee found that voice services are generally adequate in regional areas but the consumer protections should be revised. The Glasson committee also found that regional voice services users had a poor understanding of the consumer protection standards. Since the 2008 regional telecommunications review significant changes have occurred in this area.

The committee notes that the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Competition and Consumer Safeguards) Act 2010, passed in November 2010, is a major reform of voice service and payphone standards. This legislation was aimed at enhancing competitive outcomes in the Australian telecommunications industry, such as allowing for the structural separation of Telstra and strengthening existing consumer safeguards. The regulatory reforms included measures to strengthen key consumer safeguards such as the Universal Service Obligation (USO) for voice and payphones, the Customer Service Guarantee, and to provide enhanced enforcement powers to the ACMA as the regulatory body.

As part of the transition to the NBN, the Australian Government is also reforming the delivery of the USO and other public policy outcomes. As part of this reform the government has reached an agreement with Telstra to ensure that all Australians will continue to have access to basic telephone services.

From July 2012, a new government entity, the Telecommunications Universal Service Management Agency (TUSMA), will manage the new universal service agreement. Under the terms of the new agreement Telstra will be subject to stronger standards and benchmarks for the provision of the USO for voice and payphone services. The TUSMA will also be responsible for administering safety net arrangements to assist the migration of voice-only customers to an NBN fibre service as Telstra"s copper customer access network is decommissioned. For people who live in areas where the NBN fibre does not extend and currently receive their voice services over Telstra"s copper network, Telstra will also be required to maintain its copper network to deliver voice services.

The committee notes that as part of the reforms for delivery of the USO, the government released a discussion paper (Universal Service Obligation legislative reform for transition to the National Broadband Network, 23 June 2011) calling for public comment on the proposed legislative arrangements. This included the establishment, functions, governance and accountability of the TUSMA and announced the government"s intention for the new legislative regime to begin in advance of 1 July 2012.

Question 16. Are there any significant consumer issues specific to rural and remote communities that you consider are not being addressed?

Question 17. Do people in regional areas, particularly those in vulnerable or disadvantaged groups, have appropriate access to information about their consumer rights and the service options available to them?

Question 18. If not, what additional strategies could be put in place to assist individuals and groups to better understand their consumer rights and responsibilities?

Another emerging issue for consumers in regional, rural or remote communities is the challenge of keeping pace with the growth of telecommunications technologies, notably mobile internet devices such as smartphones. With the unquestioned benefits of greater affordable access to information and services, comes the prospect of greater exposure to risks online. These risks can range from the protection of personal information to greater exposure to harmful and inappropriate content. The committee is aware of the need to ensure that all consumers are aware of the risks and the range of tools and information that they can use to manage these risks.

Question 19: Are there specific cybersafety challenges that arise from the way that communications technologies are being used by regional, rural or remote communities?

Question 20: How can education and awareness of the risks of using mobile devices, such as smartphones, be improved for consumers in regional areas?

Other issues

Question 21. Are there any other issues relating to telecommunications services in regional Australia that you would like to bring to the committee"s attention?

Sections 158P and 158Q of the Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999 contain the terms of reference for the Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee and the conduct of regional telecommunications reviews.

The committee must conduct a review of the adequacy of telecommunications services in regional, rural and remote parts of Australia.

In determining the adequacy of those services, the committee must have regard to whether people in regional, rural and remote parts of Australia have equitable access to telecommunications services that are significant to people in those parts of Australia, and currently available in one or more parts of urban Australia.

In conducting the review, the committee must make provision for public consultation and consultation with people in regional, rural and remote parts of Australia.

In conducting the review, the committee must have regard to any policies of the Australian Government notified to it by the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy*; and such other matters as the committee considers relevant.

The committee must prepare a report of the review and give it to the Minister. The report may set out recommendations to the Australian Government.

In formulating a recommendation that the Australian Government should take a particular action, the committee must assess the costs and benefits of that action.

* The Minister has asked the committee to have particular regard for the opportunities that the National Broadband Network creates in improving the delivery of health and education outcomes, growth in local economies, business efficiencies, and government services and programs.

Appendix 2: Further details on submissions made to the review

The secretariat reserves the right not to publish any submission, or part of a submission, which in its view contains potentially defamatory material, or where it is appropriate to do so for confidentiality or other reasons.

Submission requirements

Each submission must include the submitter"s name, organisation (if relevant) and contact details. Emails should not exceed 3 megabytes in total size. This includes the submission and any appendices. If your submission is very large, send it in parts of no more than 3 megabytes each. If the submission is brief-three paragraphs or shorter-you may send it in the body of an email.

Please provide documents in a standard word-processing format.

Confidentiality

The secretariat will treat all submissions as non-confidential unless the submitter specifically requests that a submission, or a part of that submission, is kept confidential and provides acceptable reasons with the request. Email disclaimers are not considered sufficient confidentiality requests.

Submitters of material marked as confidential or sensitive must understand that submissions may be released where authorised or required by law or for the purpose of parliamentary processes. In this instance, the secretariat will strive to consult submitters of confidential information before providing that information to another body or agency.

Privacy

Submitters should note that submissions or comments are generally subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 1982.

The secretariat is subject to the Privacy Act 1988 and all submissions will be used only for the purpose of the review.

Register of lobbyists

A person who makes a submission on behalf of another person or on behalf of a company does not need to register as a lobbyist. For more information about the Lobbying Code of Conduct, see www.pmc.gov.au/lobbyistsregister

Contacting the secretariat

Further information about the 2011-12 Regional Telecommunications Review and the Committee is at www.rtirc.gov.au

internet relay, connect to www.relayservice.com.au and then ask for 1800 064 851.

Appendix 3: Issue paper questions

The digital economy

Question 1. How is the use of telecommunications services; and information and communication technology (ICT) evolving in different industry sectors and what is the impact of these changes in regional Australia?

Question 2. What is needed to extend and accelerate the role of telecommunications services and ICT in delivering benefits to regional economies?

Question 3. The committee would like to hear from businesses and organisations about their participation in, experiences of, and expectations about, the digital economy. Examples could relate to specific sectors such as agriculture, mining, manufacturing or retail; business-to-business activities; productivity; teleworking; and the development of new knowledge-based industries.

Question 4. The NBN will help the range of online government services to continue to expand. The committee is interested in views and experiences about engaging with government services online, whether local, state or federal.

Question 5. What are some examples of what you want to see happen to encourage greater participation in the digital economy by people living and working in regional Australia?

Question 6. What are the main barriers to regional communities increasing their use of information and communications technologies and do you have any ideas for ways in which regional communities could progressively overcome these barriers?

Regional health and education outcomes

Question 7. Do you have ideas for ways in which high-speed broadband could enhance the delivery of education and healthcare outcomes in regional communities?

Question 8. The committee would like to hear from individuals and organisations about their participation in, experiences of, and expectations about, online health and education service delivery.

Communications needs of Indigenous people and communities

Question 9: Are there examples of the internet being used by Indigenous Australians in ways that take advantage of economic, social or cultural opportunities?

Question 10. What further initiatives should the committee consider to improve awareness within Indigenous communities of the opportunities provided by the NBN?

Question 11: What recommendations do you have for remote communities to take advantage of the progressive increase in availability of high-speed broadband?

Question 12: What more could be done to improve digital literacy amongst Indigenous Australians and within Indigenous communities?

Developments in the terrestrial and satellite mobile phone sector

Question 13. Have you been able to readily obtain information to improve your mobile phone coverage, such as using an external antenna or choosing particular phones that are better suited to rural or remote coverage?

Question 14. Are you aware of emerging technologies or initiatives that could be used to improve mobile phone coverage in regional Australia?

Question 15. What have been your experiences with satellite mobile phones?

Consumer issues

Question 16. Are there any significant consumer issues specific to rural and remote communities that you consider are not being addressed?

Question 17. Do people in regional areas, particularly those in vulnerable or disadvantaged groups, have appropriate access to information about their consumer rights and the service options available to them?

Question 18. If not, what additional strategies could be put in place to assist individuals and groups to better understand their consumer rights and responsibilities?

Question 19: Are there specific cybersafety challenges that arise from the way that communications technologies are being used by regional, rural or remote communities?

Question 20: How can education and awareness of the risks of using mobile devices, such as smartphones, be improved for consumers in regional areas?

Question 21. Are there any other issues relating to telecommunications services in regional Australia that you would like to bring to the committee"s attention?

About Me

Canberra, ACT, Australia

Tom Worthington is an independent computer professional, educational design consultant and an Honorary Senior Lecturer in the Research School of Computer Science at the Australian National University.
A Certified Professional member of the Australian Computer Society, in 2015 Tom received a national gold Digital Disruptors Award for "ICT Education" and in 2010 was Canberra ICT Educator of the Year. Tom previously worked on IT policy for the Australian Government and in 1999 he was elected a Fellow of the Australian Computer Society for his contribution to the development of public Internet policy. He is a Past President, Honorary Life Member, Certified Professional and a Certified Computer Professional of the society as well as a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a voting member of the Association for Computing Machinery and a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
Tom has a Masters of Education (specializing in Distance Education) from Athabasca University, a Graduate Certificate in Higher Education from the Australian National University and a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment from the Canberra Institute of Technology.